Why do we Fight for Human Rights?
A conversation with
Arzu Geybulla
Have you ever asked yourself what it means to be a human rights activist and journalist in a non-democratic country?
Arzu Geybulla is an activist, blogger, columnist and freelance journalist from Azerbaijan. Writing for Al Jazeera, Open Democracy, Radio Free Europe and other media platforms, she has been openly advocating for human rights, democracy and the freedom of the press in her country – where critical journalists, bloggers and activists like her have been systematically intimidated and imprisoned. Today she lives in Istanbul, having been unable to return to Azerbaijan since 2014, the same year the BBC listed her among the 100 Women changemakers of the world.
During this debate, we talked about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan, how you become an activist, which challenges you face as an independent journalist in a repressive state, how technology is used to crack down dissent and more.